Huawei Wins Award for COVID-19 Network Operations Solution

Huawei Wins Award for COVID-19 Network Operations Solution

The Huawei O&M Autin grid-based operations solution has won the prize, which recognises organisations and initiatives that have successfully deployed technology solutions in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Huawei was chosen as the winner from a shortlist of five initiatives on the continent.

The AfricaCom Virtual Awards acknowledge the contributions of Africa’s tech community in fields including corporate leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation, connectivity, pandemic response and building a more accessible, inclusive digital world.

Huawei developed the Autin grid-based operations solution for network operations and maintenance (O&M), using new technologies such as blockchain, grid-based transformation and the intelligentisation of operations to enable decentralised network management during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With about 205 million mobile subscribers in Nigeria – the most populous country in Africa – are served by four main operators from around 30 000 sites nationwide. Maintaining these large infrastructures requires hundreds of field technicians and 24/7 monitoring.

Lockdown and mobility restrictions during the pandemic placed additional challenges on operators, with increased trafficand restrictions on the number of workers permitted at network operations centres (NOCs).
To address these challenges, Huawei developed the Autin grid-based operation, which decentralises network management by empowering field technicians with digitised tools to proactively monitor network quality indicators and respond to any degradation before subscribers are affected.

The solution not only provides a contingency for operators’ NOCs – essentially working as a “portable NOC” – but expands network monitoring capability with a grid-based operation. A cloud-based, big-data digital platform is at the heart of the solution, leveraging machine-learning/AI, prediction algorithms and knowledge-based intelligent rules.

A monetary incentive mechanism linked to network quality indicators motivates the field workers to embrace this mindset change. Finally, an intelligent command centre – a “magnifier in the sky” – provides real-time visibility of network status, staff geolocation and incident-resolution tracking.

According to Leo Lu from Huawei, “Grid-based network operation improves prediction capability and increases the agility of operators in responding to network incidents,” said Leo Lu, Huawei’s VP Global Technical Services for Southern Africa. “Field workers shift from being passive-reactive to being proactive thanks to cloud-based technology that gives them visibility and access to a knowledge database to resolve network faults.

“Intelligent dispatching and a network quality-based incentive plan are additional mobile features that improve field workers’ wellbeing and reduce their exposure to the pandemic.”
Huawei is a global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. With integrated solutions across four key domains – telecom networks, IT, smart devices, and cloud services, the company is committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world.

Huawei’s end-to-end portfolio of products, solutions and services are both competitive and secure. Through open collaboration with ecosystem partners, we create lasting value for our customers, working to empower people, enrich home life, and inspire innovation in organizations of all shapes and sizes.

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